relationship based collaboration mary claire heffron, ph.d margaret rossoff, m.f.t early childhood...
TRANSCRIPT
Relationship Based Collaboration
Mary Claire Heffron, Ph.DMargaret Rossoff, M.F.T
Early Childhood Mental Health ProgramDepartment of Developmental and Behavioral PediatricsChildren’s Hospital and Research Center, Oakland
MANY PROGRAMS, MANY DISCIPLINES
Pre school and child care educatorsWICSocial workers and case managers
(at CPS, teen parenting programs, TANF, etc.)
Pediatricians and nursesFirst responders (police, fire)
MANY PROGRAMS, MANY DISCIPLINES, continued
Staff at shelters for homeless families, victims of domestic violence, parents in recovery from substance abuse
Early interventionists—PT’s, OT’s, speech pathologists, developmental specialists
Mental health specialists
MULTIDISCIPLINARY FOCUS IN INTERVENTION requires collaboration among multiple systems
GOAL OF COLLABORATION:
Increased wellness and improved mental health in community
WHY COLLABORATE? BENEFITS TO FAMILIES
Many families can benefit from services of multiple agencies and providers
Coordination of services avoids gaps and overlaps for families
Coordination of services makes life easier for families with many challenges
Collaboration between providers can be a model for the family
WHY COLLABORATE? BENEFITS TO PROGRAMS AND PROVIDERS
Teamwork fosters creative new ideasCollaboration brings in perspectives from
different Cultures Professional disciplines Past experience
Collaborative projects are favored by funders, including foundations and government programs
Collaboration can mean more efficient use of scarce resources (staff and funding)
Teamwork reduces burnout
PITFALLS OF NON-COLLABORATION
Wasted dollarsLess effective servicesLost opportunities to increase staff
abilitiesSilo mentality vs. relationship
mentalityLone Ranger vs. team approach
COLLABORATIVE PROCESSES among systems and agenciesSystems and agencies
can work together to develop plans and address concerns chosen together
Requires communication and some level of trust
Requires time spent together
Process can build greater trust
POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS AMONG AGENCIES
Who do you go to?
How do they make you feel?
What do they do?
REFLECTIVE FUNCTIONING AND PERSPECTIVE TAKING ARE THE HEART OFCOLLABORATIVE WORK
RELATIONSHIP-BASED PRINCIPLES APPLY TO COLLABORATION:
Reflect on your experienceListen empathically—try to understand
before reactingRespect role boundariesCommunicate directly about
difficultiesValue different perspectivesGet support for your own feelings
USE OF SELF INCLUDES
Self awareness (of individual and program)Observation (beware of assumptions and
judgments)Reflection about the impact of collaboration
On family and child On participating agencies On agency staff On community
HOW YOU SEE THEM, HOW THEY SEE YOU
Try on the perspective of the other agency and its staff
Address and explore conflicts, different points of view
Expect differences and try to welcome them as opportunities for learning
ALL GOALS AND INTERVENTIONSSTRENGTH-BASED
Contacts among collaboratorssupport the competence of the family and of each other
BUILDING COLLABORATION
Take time to get to know each other What each program does Skills and perspectives of staff Mandates and funding constraints of each
program Agency “culture”
Build trust through shared activities, exchange of information and working together to develop shared purpose
CREATING SYSTEMS OF COLLABORATION
Coming together for joint purposesCreating common visionIdentifying strengths of participantsIdentifying problems and building
solutionsTaking credit together, appreciating
each other’s contributions
IN COLLABORATION
Start small if thinking big is too overwhelming
Focus on what will help both agencies and what will serve clients better
POSSIBLE LEVELS OF COLLABORATION
Communication among staff within an agency or department
Communication between individual providers at different agencies Providers working with the same family sharing
information and strategies (with family’s permission)
Consultations between staff at different agencies exchanging insights from different disciplines (can be about hypothetical vignettes or actual families with releases)
LEVELS OF COLLABORATION,continued
Pilot project with a small number of families
Agreement between agencies, spelled out in MOU (Memorandum of Understanding)
Integrated project, perhaps with external funding
System of care in a geographical area
WHAT ABOUT CONFIDENTIALITY?
Explain the benefits of the collaboration to family members
HIPAA requires written releases and specifies what to include
Develop a form for family members to sign that authorizes exchanges of information between collaborating programs (see examples of collaborative releases)
INVOLVE FAMILIES IN COLLABORATION
Include family members in meetings whenever possible
Share results of discussions with family members if they are not present
BARRIERS TO COLLABORATION
Territoriality and competitionTight discipline boundariesBelief in self or agency as center of the
universeFear of self evaluation and changeLimited time and moneyConstraints of funding sourcesLack of understanding of culture of other
agency
TYPICAL STAFF FEARS ABOUT COLLABORATION INCLUDE
I already don’t have enough time—how can I add to my job?
My job will change to something I can’t do or don’t like doing
“They” will undermine my workClients will pit us against one another“They” will take over my job, “they”
are better than I am
OVERVIEW: RELATIONSHIP-BASED COLLABORATION
Know your own program, including the limits of your power and influence
Understand each other’s skills and contributions
Find common ground—shared goalsRecognize differences as assets to
working togetherAppreciate the synergy of working
together
FOR SUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES
Listen as much as you talkBe willing to allow new solutions and
outcomes to emerge-don’t be too attached to one perspective
Imagine the point of view of othersFocus on joint outcomes, not just what you
needThink about needs of the family or the
community of families with young children